There's never a dull moment with Australia's Alex Cameron. From his lyrics to arrangements to his overall attitude, well, it's quite a musical experience. When I first heard Jumping The Shark I hated it, not because it wasn't good but because he was such an obnoxious prick on it. Not denying that I am as well, I spun it for months on end, wishing he'd clean up the production and tighten the sound up to something more polished and yes, more mainstream. Because I felt his work needed such a showcase. Forced Witness is just that and highlights all Cameron's strengths while ironing out the minor flaws he showed a few years ago.
The new record's definitely a tribute to the 70's and 80's -- something that shouldn't surprise you -- but yet it does because of how well it's executed. Cameron feels like a man out of time under the umbrella of these plush synth-pop beats and choruses that feel like quirky jingles. He swims from dour Depeche Mode/The Cure/New Order bass-driven anthems like "Candy May" to vibrant, upbeat songs like "Country Figs", evoking contemporary artists like Mika who try to ape in a similar fashion.
His career's really taken off, writing and collaborating with The Killers' Brandon Flowers and it shows on tracks like "Runnin' Outta Luck" which will certainly please fans of Springsteen, Phil Collins and Tom Petty. That's just the vocal prowess though, because lyrically there's so much sexual bravado pent up here (see "The Chihuahua" where he compares himself to a dog in heat seeking "pussy" constantly) that you don't know if to feel creeped out by such open admissions, or respect his honesty. For me, it's a bit of both.
The same comes later on with "Marlon Brando" when he loosely uses homosexual slurs to combat those who, well, called him as such. It's misogynistic at first glance but as you soak it in, you realize he's rubbing his liberal ways in his haters' faces. Of course, the bongos that drive the song make it all the more fun. I'm glad his musical partner Roy Molloy also gets to drop a lot of sax on the album too because this accentuates their friendship and understanding of how to shape their musical novels for an audience like me who enjoys nostalgic "fuck you's" every now and again. And with Alex Cameron, that's mostly what you'll get.